The European Union’s NIS 2 Directive has officially raised the bar for cybersecurity across critical sectors. It’s not just another regulation — it’s a clear signal that paper policies and theoretical protections won’t cut it anymore.
Whether you’re in energy, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, or you’re part of someone else’s supply chain, you’re on the hook. If your security doesn’t stand up under real-world pressure, you risk fines, downtime, and reputational damage that’s hard to fix once it hits the news.
So how do you make sure you’re actually compliant — and not just saying you are?
You test. Then you test again. Then you fix. Then you prove it.
What Changed with NIS 2?
Let’s cut through the legal jargon for a second.
NIS 2 expands the original Network and Information Security Directive in big ways:
- More sectors and companies are covered.
- Board-level accountability is higher — execs can be personally liable.
- Incident reporting rules are tighter.
- Supply chain security is now your responsibility, not just your vendors’.
- Penalties are significant — up to 2% of your global turnover in some cases.
So yes — you really do need to care.
Why “Compliance” Alone is Dangerous
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is treating compliance like it’s separate from real security.
They fill out forms, run a quick scan, generate a PDF, and tell themselves they’re fine.
Meanwhile, attackers are testing your security for you — for free — and they don’t care about your checklists.
NIS 2 expects you to test whether your security actually works. That means penetration testing, red teaming, supply chain checks, and a clear process for fixing what’s found. If you skip this, you’re not just non-compliant — you’re wide open.
What Proper NIS 2 Compliance Testing Should Cover
So what does real testing look like under NIS 2? Here’s what your security partner should help you check — and what we cover at Parrot CTFs every day.
Network & Systems Security
This is your foundation. Firewalls, routers, endpoints, servers, cloud configurations — if they’re misconfigured, unpatched, or just forgotten about, they’re low-hanging fruit for attackers.
We simulate real-world attacks:
- Can we slip past your firewalls?
- Can we escalate privileges inside your network?
- Are your endpoints hardened, or full of holes?
Then we map the findings to the specific sections of NIS 2 that apply, so you know exactly where you stand.
Web Application Security
If your business has a web app — customer portal, internal tools, APIs — it’s a top target. Attackers love injection flaws, broken authentication, weak session handling.
We dig deep for:
- SQL injection
- XSS
- CSRF
- Logic flaws
- API misconfigurations
We don’t just run an automated scan and call it done. Our team manually tests what scanners miss.
Incident Detection & Response
Do you know when you’re under attack? Do you know what to do when you are?
NIS 2 wants to see that you can detect threats fast and respond effectively. We put that to the test.
How we help:
- Run red team scenarios to see if your SOC spots us.
- Simulate insider threats and privilege abuse.
- Measure your detection time and your reaction time.
- Review your IR playbooks — and pressure-test them.
When we’re done, you don’t just have an “incident response policy” on paper — you know if it works.
Supply Chain Security
Your suppliers, partners, contractors — they can be your weakest link. NIS 2 makes you responsible for managing that risk.
What we do:
- Assess third-party integrations.
- Test how much damage an attacker could do through a supplier.
- Help you build stronger vendor contracts and audit processes.
- Find overlooked backdoors — old VPN accounts, forgotten credentials, unmanaged APIs.
Authentication & Access Control
Many breaches still come down to weak or broken access control. Default passwords, over-privileged accounts, MFA gaps — the basics still matter.
We check for:
- Broken MFA implementations.
- Privilege escalation paths.
- Orphaned accounts no one’s monitoring.
- Poorly managed admin rights.
You get a clear fix list — and a retest if you need it.
How Parrot CTFs Makes This Easy
Some firms handle your pentesting. Some handle your supply chain risk. Some write your compliance reports.
At Parrot CTFs, we do it all — because it’s all connected.
When you work with us, you get:
✅ A single point of contact — no chasing multiple vendors.
✅ Practical, prioritized findings — no 200-page PDFs with no clear next step.
✅ Clear action plans — we don’t just hand you problems, we help you fix them.
✅ Retesting and validation — so you can prove improvements to regulators.
✅ Reporting mapped to NIS 2 — so your auditors get exactly what they need.
Compliance Isn’t a One-Off — It’s a Cycle
One test won’t keep you compliant forever. Threats evolve, systems change, people make mistakes.
NIS 2 is clear: you’re expected to test regularly, fix what’s broken, and stay ready.
That’s why our clients stick with us for continuous testing — not just an annual checkbox.
What’s the Risk of Doing Nothing?
It’s tempting to think you’re too small to matter — or your suppliers have you covered.
But breaches don’t care about size — they care about opportunity.
With NIS 2, if you don’t do enough, you won’t just deal with the attackers. You’ll deal with regulators, fines, and reputational damage that could cost you more than any fine ever could.
Ready to Get It Right?
If you’re serious about real compliance, real security, and real peace of mind, we’d love to help.
Here’s what you can do now:
✅ Download our NIS 2 Compliance Guide — it breaks down who does what: you and us.
✅ Book a short call — we’ll talk about your setup, your gaps, and exactly what testing makes sense.
✅ Get a clear plan, a fair price, and no surprises.
Parrot CTFs — your one-stop shop for NIS 2 compliance that actually works.
Don’t just check a box. Prove it.
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